In the operation of crawler type vehicles, the noise level emitted from the rotating track is often objectionable. This is particularly true where such vehicles are used in construction adjacent an apartment complex, office building or other locations where a large number of people could be disturbed by the noise.
This noise is emitted from driving forces being subjected onto the track and from impacts by objects on the track. One of the principal sites of noise emission is from the shoes of the track. Sound waves readily travel outwardly from the relatively broad surfaces of the shoes. Further, the shoes are of a configuration which sometimes reaches resonance frequency which functions to increase the objectionable noise.
Heretofore, buffer means such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,780 which issued Oct. 2, 1973 to K. Tomizawa from an application filed May 25, 1971, functioned to reduce the noise from the track. However, the configuration of the buffer means did not desirably eliminate the noise and were relatively ineffective in reducing noise responsive to impacts on the shoe.
This invention therefore resides in an improved shoe assembly which functions to retard vibrations across substantially the entire surface of the shoe.